Chapter 313 - Fashion Icon

Avaleigh sat quietly in the car and looked out the window. As she watched cars drive by, she looked inside and saw people going about their normal daily lives. It felt so surreal. She had just been suspected of murder this morning and her group member was the victim. Although she didn't get along with Mimi and Mimi even tried to hurt her, death wasn't something she ever wished upon the young woman. She was only 26, she still had many years ahead of her. Who would kill her? Was it someone she knew?

Avaleigh was so deep in thought, she didn't even pay attention to where the car was going. Before she knew it, the car drove into an underground carpark of an apartment building and Emerson got out to open the door for her.

"I've spoken to Sue, you can't return to the hotel just yet. They are still investigating the crime scene. So, you can stay here for now," Emerson explained.

Avaleigh followed Emerson inside the building with curiosity. "Where are we?" she asked.

Emerson walked into an elevator and replied, "I have an apartment here. I stay here when I want to get away from the family and have some time to myself."

Normally, Avaleigh would be wary of going to man's place like this, just like last night when Emerson took her to his family home. But, after everything that happened, this man was currently the person that she trusted the most.

It didn't take long before the two of them arrived at the apartment entrance. As soon as they walked inside, Avaleigh was amazed by the size of the apartment. She had lived in Hong Kong before and she was familiar with the cost and average size of real estate in the city. "I never knew an apartment of this size existed in Hong Kong!" she exclaimed.

Emerson smiled. He was one of the richest men in the city. If his family could afford a mansion in The Peak, an apartment like this was nothing. But, he remained modest, "Yes, I'm very fortunate."

Fortunate? Avaleigh looked into Emerson's eyes. This man wasn't just fortunate; he was serious and hardworking. She had witnessed it for herself and she admired him for it.

As she thought this, she suddenly noticed a pile of shopping bags on Emerson's sofa. They covered 2 seats on his 3-seater sofa and they looked like they had been freshly purchased. She recognized the labels on the bags, they were popular clothing stores in Hong Kong. Avaleigh glanced at the man with curiosity. Was he a shopaholic?

Emerson noticed her gaze and smiled as he scanned his eyes across her body, "You're not planning to wear that all day, are you?"

Avaleigh looked down and frowned. She had completely forgotten that she was still wearing the cleaner's uniform from last night.

She quickly glanced back up at the man thankfully. 

"I got June to buy some stuff for you to change into." June was Emerson's maid. She was the one that called a taxi for Avaleigh last night and gave her money for the ride. Technically, it was also thanks to her that Avaleigh had an alibi so Emerson told her to do some shopping for Avaleigh and buy some stuff for herself as well as a reward. These bags were the result of the young woman's shopping spree.

Avaleigh walked over to one of the bags and pulled out a pair of jeans. She then pulled out an oversized T-shirt from another, and some other mismatched pieces of clothing. Obviously, style was not June's forte.

Emerson looked at the young woman with embarrassment. He wasn't a woman, but even he could tell that these clothes weren't very stylish. 

But, Avaleigh did not mind. She held onto the clothes and smiled properly for the first time that day. "Where can I get changed?" she asked.

Emerson felt bad but he had no other clothes for her to wear, so he pointed to the bathroom.

"There is a fresh towel inside as well. You can wash yourself down," he offered.

Without a second thought, Avaleigh walked inside to get changed.

But, as soon as she closed the door, she froze. Ever since Avaleigh was arrested that morning, she had not taken a look at herself in the mirror. Only then, as she stood in the bathroom, did she realize she had blood smeared on the side of her dress and across her neck, as well as dried blood on her hair. 

Avaleigh trembled a little as she looked at herself. Her eyeliner was smudged, her hair was messy, and her nose was red from all the crying she had done. She looked practically unrecognizable. No wonder she was suspected of murder, she looked like a psycho serial killer; like something that people would dress up as for Halloween.

Avaleigh looked at the bloodstains on her clothes and body and felt her heart race in fear. This was Mimi's blood. She had been walking around all day with her murdered group member's blood on her. In horror, she quickly removed the cleaner's uniform from her body and threw it aside. She then stepped into the shower, turned it on full blast and washed herself clean. While she was in the interrogation room earlier, she had closed her eyes a few times and hoped that everything was just a dream, but now that she was washing Mimi's blood off her body, she realized everything was very real.

Emerson waited patiently outside, hoping that the woman was OK. Of course, he had seen the blood on her body and the mess she was in, but he didn't want to point it out because he wanted to give her a chance to gather her thoughts and accept what had happened on her own. She was a strong woman and he was sure she would be able to handle it. But, the longer she took in the bathroom, the more he couldn't help but feel worried.

Fortunately, Avaleigh soon stepped out of the bathroom with a calm look on her face. All the blood on her body and hair had been washed off. Her hair was tied neatly into a bun above her head, the makeup on her face had been removed, and she was dressed in the clothes that June bought her. Even though she had no makeup on her face, Avaleigh was a natural beauty and Emerson found his heart uncontrollably race as he looked at her.

Emerson glanced at the clothes on her body. They clearly looked lame and unstylish when she pulled them out of the bags earlier, but now that they were on her body, Avaleigh somehow made them look fashionable. If the paparazzi caught her in these clothes, it would probably become the next trending look. No wonder she was a fashion icon.